Haldi House On The Move

Historic Haldi House & Family by Bonnie Hartup

The Haldi House is moving just a little south from its original position on the Glover ( Trunk Road). The Township is raising it up and moving it closer to the CNR railway tracks. When the house was built by carpenter Billy Brown between 1907 and 1910 there were no CNR train tracks.  It is said that the  house was built next to the Old Hudson’s Bay company store, which Jacob Haldi used as a meat store.

Who was Jacob Haldi? He was a Swiss  man, born June 10, 1846  to Jacob Haldi Sr. and Magdalene  Keller  in  Sannen  Bern Switzerland. He also had a step mother named Magdelena Metzeneu who married his father in Switzerland in 1849.

Jacob immigrated to the United States prior to 1870. The  1870  census has working  as a bartender with hotel owner,  Jacob Beller, his wife Magdelena and his children, in Cook County  Illinois. Here he met Mr Beller’s daughter Jessie Beller.

 Jacob went off to British Columbia to seek his fortune and established himself as a farmer in Fort Langley by 1882.   In 1883 he returned to  marry Jessie Beller in Illinois. His wife, Jessie Beller,  was born in Monroe County New York in 1854.

 The couple returned to Fort Langley and by 1901 Jacob Haldi had purchased  one acre of property where the current Haldi house is in Fort Langley. He hired Billy Brown to build a six room house with dormers, a bay window,  and beautiful French polished woodwork on the staircase, doors and trim for $10,000.  Jacob and Jessie moved into the home about 1910.

On the 1891 and 1901  census, Jacob ( b June 10, 1845) and Jessie ( b April 12 1854)  are  listed as farmer and wife. In 1901 they have two adopted children plus two domestic staff from Japan.   This record  states  that  Evelyn Blanche Robertson (b Sept 26 1891)  is his adopted daughter, but I can find no proof of legal adoption.  Edward R Omaha (b Aug 5 1889) in BC is listed as an adopted son, but I can find no further data on him.

 Information on his possible daughter – Evelyn Blanche Robinson’s  mother, Sarah Jane Robinson ( nee Dennis)   had died in 1897 in Vancouver and  Evelyn Blanch Robinson and her siblings were dispersed among  family members or orphanages. Her brother Frederick was at first in an orphanage and then sent to live with the  Boothroyd  family of Cloverdale. On Evelyn’s  marriage  and death records the Haldi’s are not mentioned, but her birth  parents Sarah Jane  Dennis  and  Thomas Finch Robinson are listed.

 1910  his possible adopted daughter Evelyn Blanch Robertson married Herbert  Titmus who was a partner with Jacob Haldi in the meat shop. Lore has it that Jacob kept his animals on Brae Island and had to bring them to Fort Langley  to butcher for  meat sales.

1921 His wife Jessie Beller Haldi b about 1854 in New York   lived on Trunk Rd ( aka Glover Rd)  Fort Langley . He is not listed with her. He might be travelling.

1927  November 28 His wife Jessie Beller Haldi died in Fort Langley and is buried in the Fort Langley cemetery. Probate of her estate is held in New Westminster Court.

1930 March 27, Jacob Haldi died in Fort Langley. His probate is also in New Westminster Court. His estate left $15000 to build the Haldi Bridge with the proviso that the government create  ferry service from the Brae McMillian Islands to Albion.

The Schultz Family lived in, and restored, the house between 1967 and 1975. It later became the popular Bedford House Restaurant, until about 2014.  In 2026,  it will take on a new life as a community building, once renovations have been completed.